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UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 20, 2022

• Kosovo, Albania governments to meet today in Prishtina (media)
• Rama: Albania will remove all customs tariffs with Kosovo (media)
• Rama: Funny and sad how Open Balkan is interpreted in Kosovo (media)
• Rama hosts dinner in Prishtina with critics of Kurti’s government (Nacionale)
• Government: Venice Commission gave green light for vetting in judiciary (RFE)
• Haxhiu: We have Plan B if opposition blocks the vetting (media)
• Dialogue continues with expectations for concrete agreements (Koha)
• Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu visits Kosovo (media)
• Von Cramon: We need to give something to the Western Balkans (Kosovapress)
• Leaders’ messages on Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (media)
• Health Ministry not alarmed over slight increase in new COVID-19 cases (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 17, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Lajcak: Important agreement expected next week (euronews.al/media)
• No agreement reached between government and KLA veterans (media)
• Kosovo Government issues statement following meeting with KLA veterans (media)
• At Prespa Forum, Osmani has meetings with U.S., UK, German envoys (media)
• Milanovic: Kosovo's non-recognition by Serbia, obstacle for EU enlargement (media)
• Several agreements expected to be signed in the Kosovo-Albania meeting of governments (KP)
• Konjufca travels to The Hague today to meet former KLA leaders (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Varhelyi: Cooperation with the Western Balkans is the EU's geostrategic choice (RTS)
• Brnabic from Ohrid: General progress requires integration of the region into the EU (RTS)
• Starovic: The negotiation framework with the EU does not mention the recognition of Kosovo's independence (Kosovo Online, RTS)
• Botsan Kharchenko: EU forcing Serbia to impose sanctions while remaining Russia's largest economic partner (NMagazin, N1, Beta)
• Selakovic, Cavusoglu: Excellent relations to be advanced further (Tanjug)
• Petkovic on Twitter: “Freedom for Albanians accused of planning attacks on KFOR and SOC, real image of justice in Pristina” (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Paris moves to solve Sofia’s N. Macedonia veto, diplomats say (Euractiv)
• Ukraine should become a membership candidate to join the EU, commission says (CNBC)
• Montenegro PM Accuses Partners of Blocking Serbian Church Agreement (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo Digs Deeper as Search for Wartime Missing Intensifies (Balkan Insight)
• Eight journalists from Kosovo visited Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) (KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 17, 2022

• KLA veterans end protest after Assembly halts session (media)
• Kosovo Parliament Paralysed as War Veterans, Opposition MPs Protest (BIRN)
• Lajcak trying to set meeting between Kurti and Vucic before summer break (media)
• Osmani: Our path to EU cannot be stopped by Moscow (media)
• Cautious optimism over visa liberalisation for Kosovo (media)
• Kosovars tire of knocking at Europe's closed doors (AFP/France 24)
• Greece appoints special envoy for the Western Balkans (Kallxo)
• Albanian PM Calls on Ukraine to Recognise Kosovo (Exit)
• Krasniqi: I don't believe this government will see its term through (Koha)
• 72 bomb threats reported across Kosovo yesterday, all false (media)
• Police arrest, later release, PSD leader Dardan Molliqaj (media)
• Supreme Court rules in favour of new electricity tariffs (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 16, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• KLA war veterans protest in front of assembly and government buildings (media)
• Assembly of Kosovo resumes session amidst opposition calls to cancel it (media)
• Protest on withdrawal of pension trust funds joins that of KLA veterans (Kallxo)
• Osmani to attend Prespa Forum in North Macedonia (media)
• Slovenian president calls for visa liberalisation for Kosovo (Paparaci)
• Bomb threats in 30 schools were false, police say (Kallxo)
• Hoti: Government did not use ‘Office of Veterans’ for dialogue with them (media)
• Kurti meets journalists and academics from Greece and Cyprus (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to Cavusoglu: Serbia committed to promoting cooperation (N1)
• Christoph Heusgen: An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is possible (DW)
• Kosovo Police: Citizens not to panic, some schools checked, threats false (Kontakt plus radio)
• Office for KiM: 71 Serbian schools in Kosovo received threatening emails (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Conference "Position and Challenges of Non-Majority Communities in the Pec Region" (KiM Radio)
• Petkovic: "Mutual recognition" is not and cannot be part of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)
• EWB: ''The amendment on mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo was submitted by the MP of the European People's Party'' (N1)
• Von Cramon: Sanctions and recognition of Kosovo to join EU (N1)
• Jovic: Viola von Cramon's ultimate messages destabilize the Balkans (Kosovo Online)
• Leaders of the Western Balkans at the Prespa Forum in Ohrid (Kosovo Online, RFE)

Opinion:

• Serbia’s sanctions standoff with the EU (Politico)

International:

• Global Peace Index 2022 (reliefweb.int)
• Paper Shows France's Vision Of New 'Community' For All Of Europe (RFE)
• Kosovo stunned as Dua Lipa festival shifts to Albania (BIRN)
• EU leaders to debate France’s halfway house for Ukraine idea (Politico)
• “Z” makes Ukrainians feel unsafe in Serbia, ambassador says (Euractiv)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Dittrich: Kosovo Accreditation Agency to be soon readmitted to ENQA, EQAR (Koha)
• Serbia donates 1.5 million Euro for Ukrainian children (N1)
• Serbia: Growth Momentum, Policy Discipline Cushion Economic Blows From War in Ukraine (fxempire.com)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 16, 2022

• Prime Minister Kurti meets European Council President Michel (media)
• Police gather at Assembly and Government before veterans’ protest (media)
• Bomb alarms in community schools in different municipalities (media)
• Albanian PM Rama calls on Ukraine to recognize Kosovo (Koha)
• Defence Minister Mehaj: Kosovo ready to help Ukraine (media)
• Open Balkans shows no sign of delivering promised freedoms (BIRN)
• Kosovo, Albania governments to hold a joint meeting on June 20 (euronews.al)
• Kosovo’s Trepca giant struggles to pay off debts to miners (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 15, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Europe is not complete without Kosovo and Western Balkans (media)
• Kosovo to take part in Defense Contact Group meeting on Ukraine (media)
• War veterans to protest tomorrow; calls for mass participation, no violence (Telegrafi)
• AmCham Kosovo: Government should consider participating in Open Balkan (media)
• PDK calls on MPs to support pension trust withdrawal (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• A new round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina next week (Kosovo Online, RTV, Tanjug)
• Schieb: The catalogue of obligations is clear (N1)
• Bilcik for Insajder: Scholz's position on mutual recognition is not the official position of the European Union (Danas)
• Duma official says Russia will not recognize Kosovo (N1, Beta, Politika)
• Albanians from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja can take the bar exam in Kosovo (N1, beta, bujanovacke.co.rs)
• Serbian Justice Minister: ICTY prosecutors suffered complete failure in Kosovo cases (Tanjug)
• Kosovo police: Increased number of cases of interethnic violence in 2021, most victims Albanians (Kosovo Online)
• Office for KIM: Primary school in Gojbulja near Vucitrn stoned (gracanicanicaonline.info)

Opinion:

• Joseph: Open Balkan(s) is Not Just Unwise. It’s Dangerous (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Serbia Leader Scorns EU Call for Mutual Recognition with Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Albanian PM: No EU membership talks soon, and it’s Bulgaria’s fault (Politico)
• Kosovo, Serbia Dialogue Must Deal with Major Issues First, Says Kosovo Publicist (exit.al)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Western Balkan Highly Affected by Illegal Border Crossings This Year, Frontex Reveals (schengenvisainfo.com)
• Serbian NGO chief says number of migrants rising (Beta, N1)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 15, 2022

• Kurti and Schallenberg vow to increase Kosovo-Austria cooperation (media)
• Michel: Western Balkans, strategic priority for the EU (RFE)
• France set to appoint envoy to Western Balkans? (RTK)
• Kurti welcomes adoption of minimum wage bill, calls it 'good news' (media)
• KLA war veterans to protest on 16 June against minimum wage bill (media)
• Kusari-Lila: War veterans have not been excluded from draft law (Koha/Telegrafi)
• PDK: Kusari-Lila shamefully insulted KLA veterans (Indeksonline)
• Sunny Hill festival moves from Pristina to Tirana (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 14, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Assembly adopts in principle law on minimum wage (media)
• PDK announces boycott of today's Assembly session (media)
• EP: Final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia to centre on mutual recognition (media)
• Austria's FM Schallenberg visits Kosovo, calls for visa liberalisation (media)
• “Open Balkan has meaning only if six countries are involved” (Klan Kosova)
• Delegation from Croatian parliament visits Kosovo Assembly (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: There will be no power anywhere, hard winter ahead; no mention of mutual recognition in the negotiating framework with the EU (Danas, Beta)
• AFET adopts report on Serbia: "Urgent" sanctions on Russia demanded; legally binding agreement based on mutual recognition between Belgrade and Pristina (Danas)
• Bilcik on the report: "It is not an ultimatum, the government in Serbia should decide whether it will be on the right side of history" (Danas)
• Bilcik against the wording ‘mutual recognition’ (KoSSev, RFE)
• Vucic: Non-paper presented, Austria wants tangible enlargement process (N1, Beta, FoNet)

International:

• Western Balkan migrant route most used in 2022 (Euractive)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 14, 2022

• Bislimi: Agreement on energy in the north is very close (media)
• Haradinaj: All citizens must be included in a single energy system (media)
• European Parliament foreign committee to discuss report on Kosovo (RFE)
• Kosovo leaders meet to coordinate actions on foreign policy (media)
• Foreign Minister Gervalla reacts to critics, shares video praising KLA (Telegrafi)
• Kurti’s opposition to Open Balkan leaves Kosovo looking isolated (BIRN)
• Austrian Foreign Minister to visit Kosovo today (media)
• Assembly President Konjufca to visit former KLA leaders on June 17 (media)
• A determining week for the pension trust and the minimum wage (Koha)
• Draft strategy on transitional justice aimed in three months (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 13, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PDK, AAK call for minimum wage bill to be removed from assembly agenda (RFE)
• LDK leader Abdixhiku insists on removing excise duty on fuel products (media)
• Finance minister Murati rejects proposal to lift excise duty on fuel (media)
• Austrian chief diplomat to stay in Prishtina on Tuesday (Gazeta Express)
• Mehaj: U.S. support, irreplaceable in our development processes (Klan Kosova)
• Abazovic, Rama and Kovacevski to visit Kyiv together? (RTV21)

Serbian Language Media:

• Selakovic on sanctions against Russia: Serbia cannot impose sanctions to someone who respects its territorial integrity (Kosovo Online, RTV, Tanjug)
• Austrian FM expects region in the EU (FoNet, N1)
• Petkovic with US Ambassador Hill on dialogue and situation in Kosovo (RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Djuric: Serbia-US relations on constant upward trajectory (Tanjug, N1, Politika)
• Ambassador Hill: Serbia to consider its neutral position (N1)
• Vucic: Scholz requested that Serbia join sanctions on Russia (Tanjug)
• Scholz: Germany expects EU membership candidates to join Russia sanctions (media)
• Two young Serbs stabbed in Straze village, near Gnjilane (Beta, NMagazin, RTV Puls, Kosovo Online)
• Office for KiM: Two shops in Velika Hoca robbed (Kontakt plus radio)
• Novo Brdo: Several returnee homes broken into in Ceranovica hamlet (Kontakt plus radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Displaced persons from Suva Reka forbidden to attend the monastery's celebration (KiM radio)

Opinion:

• The Balkan chessboard and notable absentees (ekathimerini.com)

International:

• EU Parliament urges Serbia to reconsider relationship with Russia (Euractive)
• How to keep the EU accession dream alive (intellinews.com)